B.C. police officers allowed to leave Cuba
Men charged with March sex assault finally home after appeal of acquittal is rejected by court
Two B.C. police officers detained in Cuba since March have been allowed to return home.
On Saturday, Vancouver police Const. Mark Simms and his friend, Const. Jordan Long of the Port Moody Police Department, flew back to Canada after a vacation that wasn’t supposed to be longer than a few days.
Both men were arrested and later released in March after a 17-year-old woman from Ontario accused Simms of sexual assault.
Simms was not allowed to leave Cuba while awaiting trial, while Long had to remain to face allegations of being an accessory.
The two police officers were acquitted in November, but the travel restriction remained in place as a Cuban prosecutor appealed the verdict.
The appeal was rejected Friday, according to a news release from the Port Moody Police Department.
On Saturday, Vancouver police Const. Jason Doucette said the department has been “in touch with our member, who was detained in Cuba, and can confirm that he is back home.”
The Port Moody Police Department issued a statement saying it had been an “extremely difficult situation for all involved.”
Both police departments asked for privacy for their members.
A post to a Facebook support group said the two men and their family and friends have “endured the highest level of pain and suffering . ... Thank you everyone for your unwavering love and support. They’re home.”
On its website, Global Affairs Canada warns travellers that Cuban police do not lay charges until an investigation is complete.
“Canadians who have been arrested, even for a minor incident, should expect long delays to resolve their cases and may not be allowed to leave the country.”
In 2010, a 19-year-old Ontario man was detained by Cuban authorities for almost three months after his rental car was involved in a crash with another vehicle.
Although he was never jailed or charged, Cody LeCompte had to remain at a hotel until police completed their investigation, running up a $30,000 bill on lawyers, accommodations and food.
In 2014, a Winnipeg man was not allowed to leave Cuba for seven weeks after he was involved in a scooter crash and police conducted an investigation.
In 2016, a Toronto man spent 13 days in a Cuban jail for flying a drone.
He was locked in a tiny, dark cell at a detention facility and questioned about being a spy.
He was eventually released after consular officials became involved in his case.